The Poulenc Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - Performance Tips and History

History

French composer Francis Poulenc was born in Paris in 1899. As a composer, he was largely self-taught, but was encouraged from a young age to play the piano by his mother and later studied with Catalan pianist Ricardo Viñes. Throughout his life, Poulenc performed as a pianist, but he is best remembered today for his prolific compositional output. His many compositions include religious works, music for solo piano, opera, ballet, chamber music, large scale orchestral and choral works, and spirited songs with beautiful melodies. Poulenc was a member of Les Six, the famous group of six leading composers living in France in the early twentieth century.

Poulenc had a particular affinity for writing for woodwind instruments. His interest in the clarinet showed early, when in 1918 at the age of 19, he composed a remarkable Sonate pour 2 clarinettes. This unique and often performed work has the unusual instrumentation of one clarinet in B-flat and one clarinet in A. In 1922, Poulenc followed with a brilliant Sonate pour clarinette et bassoon. Poulenc quite often composed solo passages for the clarinet in his large scale works and also composed a spectacular Sextour for woodwind quintet and piano in 1932.

Later in his life, Poulenc turned his attention back to the woodwinds, composing his Sonate pour flûte et piano in 1957, and Sonate pour hautbois et piano and Sonate pour clarinette et piano both in 1962. The clarinet and oboe sonatas were published posthumously.

The three-movement Sonate pour clarinette et piano was commissioned by clarinetist Benny Goodman and is dedicated to the memory of Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, Poulenc’s friend and member of Les Six. Sadly, Poulenc died of a heart attack in Paris just a few months before the world premiere.

The premiere took place on April 10, 1963 at Carnegie Hall, performed by Benny Goodman and pianist Leonard Bernstein. The first performance in France was on July 20, 1963 by clarinetist André Boutard and pianist Jacques Février. Boutard had worked with Poulenc and made the first recording of the sonata with Février in 1964. The sonata became an immediate hit with clarinetists around the world and quickly established a permanent home in the standard clarinet repertory. Beloved for its enchanting vocal melodies, sparkling harmonies, and dazzling virtuoso passagework, the sonata has become one of the all-time favorite clarinet recital pieces.

Helpful Fingerings

In addition to the many vocal phrases, the second movement also features two critical phrases requiring the clarinetist to ascend into the altissimo register with great control. It is necessary to achieve pinpoint accuracy on the altissimo G and F. There are many possible fingering choices for altissimo G and you will have to experiment to find what fingering works best on your set-up for both stability and accurate intonation. Here is my preferred fingering for the high G:

For the high F, I use the covered fingering, as it is dependable and the pitch does not tend flat like the regular fingering often can.

Covered High F

Regular High F

The third movement, Allegro con fuoco (fast and with fire) is a spirited sprint that requires the clarinetist to display both agile technique and rapid articulation. There are a number of finger benders, so my best advice is to practice the difficult passages slowly and work them up to tempo gradually over time using a metronome.

The great violinist Itzhak Perlman once said, “If you practice something slowly, you forget it slowly. If you practice something fast, you forget it fast.” I couldn’t agree more.

Something else to keep in mind while practicing the third movement is to strive for the same vocal tone as you created in the more lyrical second movement. Due to the many high notes and fast passages, it is easy to become consumed with proper execution and lose focus on the most important musical credo, which is to play with a beautiful tone. One other important point for the third movement – this comes one measure before number 4 – the third note should be E natural, not G-flat. This correction comes from Guy Deplus, one of the most distinguished clarinet performers and scholars of our time. Deplus knew both Poulenc and Boutard, and his knowledge of the sonata is considered authoritative.

The Poulenc Sonata is an irresistible joyride for any clarinetist. Enjoy your journey into this ageless musical masterpiece!

About the Author

Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida where he was founder and music director of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Prof. Estrin was the 20th President of the International Clarinet Association (ICA). He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer and Writing the Vandoren WAVE published by CAMco. His critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 26 is published by Jeanné.

Prof. Estrin is a 2023 recipient of Honorary Membership in the International Clarinet Association. This accolade, marking the highest honor in the clarinet world, is said to acknowledge individuals with a distinguished background in the areas of professional service, teaching, performance, and lifetime achievements.

Mitchell Estrin studied clarinet with Stanley Drucker at The Juilliard School where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His other influential teachers include Jerome Stowell, Walter Wollwage, Leon Russianoff, Larry Combs, Robert Bloom, and John Moses.

Prior to his academic appointments, he had a 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic. He performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours with the Philharmonic as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under music directors Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and many distinguished guest conductors including Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Sir Colin Davis, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the Philharmonic and on numerous occasions performed with the orchestra on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.

As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in over 40 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen with the Janacek Philharmonic.
“This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
The Clarinet

As a chamber musician, he has performed with such notable ensembles as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, American Chamber Winds, at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble.

Prof. Estrin has an extensive discography of solo and chamber music and recorded hundreds of television commercials and Hollywood motion-picture soundtracks. He has performed and recorded with many leading popular artists including Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Natalie Merchant. His motion picture soundtrack credits include recordings for Columbia, Walt Disney, Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Brothers on feature films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Alamo, Intolerable Cruelty, The Score, You’ve Got Mail, Primary Colors, Fargo, Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire, Home Alone 2, Pocahontas, Doc Hollywood, Regarding Henry, The Untouchables, Reds, and Dressed to Kill. His television credits include recordings for ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, HBO, TBS, and ESPN. Prof. Estrin was principal clarinetist for the NBC 75th Anniversary Special; broadcast from the famed NBC Studio 8H in New York City. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Phil Donahue Show, the television series Nurse, and in Kramer vs. Kramer, the 1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. His clarinet playing has also been heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized him as a Most Valuable Player nominee for his outstanding performances in the recording studio.

Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at many prestigious educational conferences and institutions. This list includes the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Midwest Clinic, New York State School Music Association, Connecticut School Music Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. In 2019, he was a guest clinician in Australia at the University of Melbourne. He has performed in recital with clarinetists Stanley Drucker, Karl Leister, and Mark Nuccio.

Widely acclaimed as a conductor and proponent of the clarinet choir, Prof. Estrin has served as director of the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® College, Festival, and Professors Clarinet Choirs, Texas State Clarinet Fiesta Clarinet Choir, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He held a Guinness World Record for conducting the world’s largest clarinet choir (367 members) in 2019. He has conducted the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble throughout the United States and Europe, including three feature recitals at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest®. The ensemble has produced four critically acclaimed CD’s for Mark Masters, Christmas Clarinets (2016), Clarinet Choir Classics (2012), Clarinet Thunder (2009), and Wind in the Reeds (2006). Each of these recordings was selected for the Grammy Nomination eligibility list. Prof. Estrin has authored multiple articles on the history, development, repertoire, and logistics of the clarinet choir.

As a music producer and annotator, he has worked on projects with such renowned artists as trombonist Joseph Alessi, jazz pianist Lynne Arriale, and saxophonist Mike Smith. He has produced five clarinet choir CDs for Mark Recording.

Prof. Estrin’s students have performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, New York Pops, United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, United States Army Field Band, and West Point Band. His students hold educational positions at several major universities including Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of South Alabama.

Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Legacy Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds (V.12) and mouthpieces (BD2). Prof. Estrin’s educational articles are published regularly in the Vandoren WAVE and his biography is listed in Who’s Who in Classical Music, Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in International Music.